25 DIY Flower Bouquets Mom Will Love

Like peanut butter and jelly or chocolate and, well, just about anything, Mother’s Day and flowers are a natural combination.
Planning an in-person date this year? Instead of desperately hightailing it to the flower shop hours before and picking through the (upcharged) leftovers — um, not that we’ve ever done that — surprise her with one of these DIY centerpieces or bouquets, easily made with blooms you can get at the grocery store.

We wondered why our mason-jar arrangements never looked as good as the ones on Pinterest until we discovered gridded frog lids, which can be swapped onto standard size jars. For this rustic look, no need to even hit the grocery store — flowers picked from the backyard are perfect.

This rainbow flower lineup works best if you’re surprising Mom with brunch and can already have the blooms set up on the table when she comes downstairs. Besides 9 glasses or vases and 9 matching flowers, all you need is water and food coloring to replicate the look.

Courtesy Pinterest via Ami Kolb

DAISY, DAISY

The takeaway here: Whether you stick daisies in a foam ball to create this look or simply arrange them in a vase, mixing large and small versions of the inexpensive, popular flower is the secret to a pretty bouquet.

Courtesy Pinterest via Debi Plunkett

CITRUS STUNNER

Submerged lemons and limes make this arrangement’s water as gorgeous as the blooms themselves.

Courtesy Pinterest via Nicola Kruse

A STAND-UP BOUQUET

Instead of hiding anemone (or any flower with a sturdy stem) inside a vase, strip them of greenery, tie them just under the blooms with a pretty ribbon, and hand them to a happy mother. Then before Mother’s Day brunch or dinner, plop the bouquet into a tumbler, where it’ll stand upright, to create an instant centerpiece.

Courtesy Pinterest via stylemepretty.com

COCKTAIL FLOWER

Make sure to give Mom a real drink alongside of this eye-catching flower served up in an old-school coupe glass. She’ll appreciate both, we’re sure.

Courtesy Pinterest via lovethispic.com

PITCHER PERFECT

This bouquet delivers a lesson in color schemes: Pick one color family and choose flowers in light and dark shades. Once the blooms die, Mom will be left with a pitcher she can use at summer picnics.

Courtesy Pinterest via realsimple.com

OH BABY!

Once considered a mere filler flower, baby’s breath are having a moment of their own. They’ve got an eye-catching shape, and since they’re super inexpensive compared to other flowers, you can buy enough to make Mom a bouquet bigger than her head (but not her heart — awww).

Courtesy Pinterest via tipjunkie.com

THE WRITING'S ON THE WALL

Although this craft project will take more time than other bouquets, it’s surprisingly easy to execute. Build letters out of cardboard and papier-mâché; from there, all you need is craft foam, scissors and flowers. Get the full instructions from online shop Urbanic Paper Boutique.

To steal this look, spray-paint mason jars or old spaghetti jars, fill them with soil and plant some buds that Mom can watch bloom. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Full instructions

Courtesy Pinterest via tumblr.weddinginspirasi.com

PRETTY PEONIES

A slender drinking glass is a lovely counterpoint to a grouping of full, fluffy peonies. It’s less about the type of flower here and more about gathering enough to spill over the sides of the glass, creating the illusion of a jumbo bouquet.

Believe it or not, this seemingly vintage can-cum-vase is made from an empty soup can, a printout from a home computer and a dose of Elmer’s glue. Get the instructions from blog Artsy Chicks Rule, then fill your finished craft project with one of the most cheerful grocery store blooms around: Gerber daisies.

Courtesy Pinterest via marthastewart.com

BOWL HER OVER

Ever wonder how big flower arrangements have every bloom perfectly in place? A Scotch tape grid is one trade secret. Make it over a bowl filled with water and place a flower in every square to create a bouquet that looks like it came straight from the florist.

Courtesy Pinterest via gardenmama.typepad.com

BRANCHING OUT

Lurking beneath those branches is a clear glass container that can be used to hold Mom’s favorite flower (or whatever’s growing in the backyard). Kids will love foraging in the yard for twigs and gluing them to the vase. Garden Mama has helpful DIY instructions on her blog.

Courtesy Pinterest via Deborah DeMan

ROCK SOLID

Smooth rocks and pebbles picked from the roadside dress up simple flowers. We’re digging the green, but the stones are so neutral, any color would work here.

Courtesy Pinterest via refabdiaries.com

PENCIL PERFECT

For moms who double as teachers or writers, this is the perfect bouquet: simple sunflowers inside of a homemade pencil vase. Find instructions (and other fun ways to upcycle pencils!) on blog The ReFab Diaries.

Courtesy Pinterest via cfabbridesigns.com

APPLE OF HER EYE

Called Apple Bombs, these pint-size bouquets mix spiky spider mums with Granny Smiths. Though they look like the work of a fancy florist, you can make them easily using an apple corer and pieces of floral foam — check out blog Family Chic’s instructions.

We guarantee your local dollar store is selling Mother’s Day coffee mugs; pick one up and fill it with succulents to give Mom a pretty gift that’ll live far longer than the plants.

Courtesy Pinterest via frogprincepaperie.com

HAVING A BALL

A pomander of vividly colored carnations has a whimsical, Palm-Springs-in-the-sixties feel. And good news for all non-crafty types: blog Frog Prince Paperie has simple directions to make this arrangement. As long as you can work a pair of scissors and poke stems into foam, you’ll be good to go.